Safe and Sound
by Hope the Ghost Writer
Summary: N makes his way to Sinnoh to invite upcoming author and close friend Cecilia Chance to join him on his journey of self-discovery. Sequel to Long Division. Title inspired by the song by Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars. BEING PUT ON HOLD INDEFINITELY.
1. Triple Baka

**_A/N—_**_I'm baaaaack! X3 I told you that I'd bring you another Cecilia fic soon. NEVER DOUBT MY WILLINGNESS TO JUST KEEP WRITING, JUST KEEP WRITING, JUST KEEP WRITING, WRITING, WRITING—*brick'd*_

_Sorry. I've been getting even more increasingly off-topic lately. I've also been alluding to movies a lot lately. If you saw a _Toy Story_ reference in the last chapter of _Long Division_, then you see what I mean._

_Well, enough with the off-topic-ness. Here it is: the first chapter of the newest installment in Cecilia's story: _Safe and Sound. _(Yes, I did name it after the song that Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars recorded for _The Hunger Games_. Haters gonna hate. *sunglasses*)_

* * *

><p>"She's Sinnoh's next big author and memorable face—and she's only seventeen years old. Hi, I'm Roxy for the Pokemon Variety Hour—only on Jubilife TV—and tonight I'm sitting down with the author of the novel <em>Safe and Sound<em>. She's from Snowpoint City and is the younger sister of the city's gym leader, Candice. Ladies and gentlemen, Cecilia Chance!"

I sat down on a cushioned seat on the opposite end of a small, round table with a copy of my novel standing upright on it. Adjacent to the other side was a teal-haired reporter wearing a black satin tank top that was tucked into a white pencil skirt. Spotlights beamed down on the stage so there was adequate lighting for the cameras. They highlighted my nervousness, in my opinion, but nobody seemed to notice or care. I'd never been interviewed before then.

"So Cecilia," Roxy asked me, "this novel...What inspired you to write it?"

I thought about it for a moment, then answered, "Well, I went on a journey in Unova a few months ago—about a half of a year ago, to be exact—and I went to do research for Professor Juniper, who was a young, up-and-coming professor in the region. The places I saw and the friends I met...well, it was all very inspiring to me. The region was so diverse, and it kept me thinking, _Wow, there are so many adventures one person can have here_. And that's when this came into the picture. Ta-dah!" I gestured to my book nervously, thinking, _Oh Arceus, why the hell did I do that?_ An awkward smile came across my face. _BAKA. BAKA. BAKA,_ I scolded myself again.

"But it's incredible where you got all of these concepts from; I read the book and I was simply taken away by the plot line!" Roxy looked into the camera for a moment and spoke to the people watching, "If you haven't picked up a copy of _Safe and Sound_ yet, here's a quick synopsis. _Safe and Sound_ tells the tale of Naomi—a foreigner who ends up on a journey to the imaginary Nemokamai Region, where she befriends an undercover International Police agent named Vasara. Together, the two travel across the region as they uncover secrets about both each other and a mysterious young man named Novus, whom Naomi ends up falling in love with. Naomi and Vasara also must thwart the evil plot of Team Genyu, whose goal is to separate people from Pokemon. I didn't give away too much, right?"

"No," I told her, "you did a good job with the synopsis."

"Thank you for the lovely compliment. Now tell me, where did you get the idea for Team Genyu and Novus?"

"Well, to be honest, there _was_ a group of people there called Team Plasma with similar ideals to Team Genyu, but they didn't really get anywhere with their attempts to brainwash the masses, and eventually I stopped seeing them pop up everywhere all together." _Don't roll your eyes. Don't roll your eyes._ "I did meet a mysterious teenager who showed up at my side every-so-often, but he wasn't—lower the volume for a moment if you don't want to hear this spoiler—affiliated with Team Genyu in the least. Many of the characters were based off of people I had met. I met strong, brave trainers like Vasara and rude, calloused figures like Karusu. In a way, my novel was based off of my journey, except with a more interesting story behind it."

"How riveting! It's pretty incredible how you get all of these ideas from such small details." Roxy looked at the cameras. "I'm afraid that's about all the time we have for today." She looked at me again. "Cecilia, thank you so much for stopping by."

"No problem. It was a pleasure to be here."

Roxy focused on the camera again, "Coming up: a new episode of Ketch Appy, followed by Sinnoh Hot Hit Tunes. Thanks for joining us, and see you next week!"

_Three...two...one..._

"Alright!" the director yelled. "That's a wrap."

**-x-**

Okay, so I never really took N leaving very well. When I first returned home, I sat in my room most of the time and kinda just sulked for about a month. Then, my seventeenth birthday came around, and my sister got me a journal, which gave me the idea to write a novel about my experiences in Unova. Of course, I had to change everyone's names and everything, but overall, the novel was a literal depiction of my hell-of-a journey. I never expected it to become so popular—or for me to write it as fast as I did—but hey, fate hasn't let me down before, right?

I had to lie at the interview—several times, to be exact. Nobody could know that all of that really happened, except for the people who experienced the drama first hand. Even most of Unova wasn't aware of what _really_ was going on with Team Plasma, so lying was not exactly a bad idea. Candice and I knew the truth, but nobody else in Sinnoh did.

When I was being interviewed, I was in the middle of a month-long book tour. It was nice to see much of Sinnoh that I hadn't seen before, but it wasn't as exhilarating as going off on my own. However, my next story wouldn't begin until I returned home from the tour...

**-x-**

"Rise and shine, Cecilia!" my mother's voice called up the stairs. At first, I didn't want to get out of bed. Then, the aroma of sizzling bacon made its way up the stairs. I couldn't resist; I was only gone for a month, and I still missed my mom's home cooking.

I sat down at the table and began to eat my breakfast—fried eggs and bacon. It wasn't very elaborate, but it was one of my favorite things to eat regardless. "Cece, how was the book tour?"

I hadn't even been back for a day, so it made sense that my mom was already asking me questions. "It was good. Arceus, I never expected being a famous author to be as unfamiliar as Unova."

"Well, I'm very proud of you, Cece."

Sliding down the railing of the staircase came Candice. She was dressed and ready for another day at work. "Morning, everyone!" she greeted as she sauntered to the kitchen. She sat down next to me and began to eat her breakfast, which was the same as mine. "Great job with the Jubilife TV interview, Cece."

"Thanks, sis." Just the thought of that interview made me think about N again. "Hey, can I come with you to the gym today? I'm not really doing anything."

"Sure! I don't mind in the least. Maybe you can be the ref—"

The front door swung open. My dad frantically darted into the house. He was holding something wrapped in a blanket. "Honey, what's going on?" my mom asked.

My dad explained, "I was on my morning hike, when all of a sudden I came across this unconscious trainer lying face down in the snow. He was surrounded by Pokemon who were trying to keep him warm. He has a pulse, but he's lucky that he does."

"Well, put him on the couch already!" my mom instructed. "I'll get some more blankets from the closet."

As my mom ran to the closet in the hallway, my sister and I ran over to my dad and helped him put the body on the couch. "Does he have frostbite?" Candice asked.

"His nose looked a bit red, but I don't think so. Let's check just to be sure."

When we unwrapped the blanket, we found a kid with pale skin and green hair. A black and white baseball cap was tightly affixed on his head. _No way, _I thought. I blinked a few times just to be sure I wasn't seeing things.

It was N.


	2. Timing is Everything

My face was filled with shock. I never expected him to come all the way to Sinnoh, let alone navigate Route 217 and its harsh weather conditions solo. I looked at Candice, shooting her an expression that screamed, _"What the hell are we gonna tell Dad?_"

Mom came back downstairs carrying several heavy blankets. "This should do it," she said.

"He doesn't have frostbite," my dad discovered, "but he does need to keep warm until he regains consciousness."

My mom then began piling blankets on top of N's cold body. Color slowly began to return to his face. Mom smiled at Dad and praised him for helping N by saying, "That was a good thing you did there. Very noble of you, dear."

I then thought about how Dad said he found him. _"I was on my morning hike, when all of a sudden I came across this unconscious trainer lying face down in the snow."_ Lying in the snow. That's how I found Seattle, my Riolu. I used to go hiking with my dad all the time. It was an ironic thing to think that he would find N the same way I found Seattle many years prior.

Mom looked up at the clock. "Oh no, the Trainers' School!" she exclaimed with worry. "I still have to go to work!"

"And I need to get more firewood. I was collecting some before I found the trainer, but I left it all so he wouldn't die out there," Dad added. "Girls, do you mind waiting to go to the gym for a little while—at least until he's mobile again?"

"Sure," my sister and I agreed simultaneously. _Thank Arceus,_ I thought.

Once my parents were out of the house, I began to panic. "Oh Arceus," I said with worry, "Mom and Dad can _not_ find out about what really happened back in Unova."

"Agreed," Candice told me. "But, if worst _does_ come to worst, you could always tell them that your novel was literally everything you didn't tell them about your journey. Makes everything _much_ easier."

"_Not helping_!" I took a deep breath. _Inhale. Exhale._ "Look, N needs to wake up before Mom and Dad get back. We need to have him play along so that they don't find out. Or we need him to leave, which I _reeeeally_ don't want him to do."

"Let's just see what happens first and base our reactions on that."

N began to toss and turn. "N—no...don't...Reshiram...ack! So...c—cold," he muttered in his sleep. He must've been having a nightmare about what had happened before he was knocked unconscious. Only a few moments after, the upper-half of his body shot up, and he let out a blood-curdling scream. Afterwards, he took a few deep breaths and looked around. His eyes quickly locked onto mine. "I must be dead, right?" were his first words to me. "Where am I? How are you here? How am I here?"

A smile came across my face. "No," I told him. "You're not dead." Then, I explained how Dad had found him in the snow on Route 217.

"So I made it?" he asked. "Thank Arceus."

"Wait, so what happened to you?" Candice asked. "How did you get here?"

"What'cha been up to?" I asked casually.

N began to tell his story: "After I left, I travelled the world in search of myself. I saw so many different kinds of Pokemon and met so many different trainers. I tried training Zora, but I lacked the skill and experience to do so. Still, Zora and I rekindled our friendship as we did. But something was missing. I needed someone to show me the ropes—to be by my side. In other words, I told you I'd be back." I wanted to go, "Awh," but that would've sounded even stupider than some of the stuff that I had said in my interview. "Reshiram agreed to fly me over here, but right as we began to descend down into the Acuity Lakefront, Reshiram once more became the Light Stone, and that was that. I can't remember anything else."

"Great," I moaned. "Now we need to go and find a white-colored stone that was lost _in the snow_. This is going to be fun."

"It should find its way back to me, though. Remember when August noticed that it rolled out of your bag, so she gave it back to you? Fate has a way of working these sort of things."

Candice walked over to the window. She turned around and showed us a face filled with shock. "Dad's coming," she warned.

"Okay, just play it cool and _don't_ tell my Dad about what happened back in Unova," I told N, "If anyone asks, we'll just say that you're a friend and leave it at that."

"Got it," he understood. My sister and I ran back over to the table and pretended to be eating breakfast. N acted as if he just woke up.

My dad kicked the front door, which was hardly shut, open and walked with his hands full of firewood. When he was fully inside of the house, he used his foot to kick the door shut. "I'm back," he announced as he placed the firewood next to the fireplace. First, he looked at us as we ate and pretended to have a conversation. Then, he looked at N, who looked as if he was just getting situated with his surroundings. "Oh good, you're alive," Dad noticed. _Great first impression, Dad._

"Did you bring me back here?" N asked.

"Yes I did, son," he answered. "Tell me your name."

"M—my name is N. I came to say hi to Cecilia. We met back in Unova."

"That's a long journey just for a hello, son."

"I took some stops along the way..."

"Well, looks like you finally made it." I could tell that my dad wasn't exactly thrilled that a boy travelled all this way to see me. _"Don't come home with a boyfriend, alright?"_ I remembered those words crystal clear. They were some of the last ones he said to me before I left for Unova. He said he was joking, but based on how he was reacting to N, I think he only said that just to calm my nerves before my departure.

Candice interjected with, "I have to get to the gym and get ready; I'm already running late. N, Cece, do you two want to come?"

"I still want to come," I answered. "What about you, N?"

"Sure," N agreed. "Why not?" It was so bizarre to see N tolerating the concept of Pokemon gyms. Then again, I had to accept the fact that he was still trying to figure out the kind of person he was meant to be.

"Oh, and son, before you go, I found these two things over by where I found you." My dad pulled two spheres out of his coat pocket and handed them to N. One of them was a Pokeball—possibly Zora's. The other was the Light Stone.

"Thank you, sir," N respectfully said with gratitude. He accepted his items and put them each in a separate pocket in his jeans.

"I'll be right back; I just need to get my bag," I told everyone.

I scurried on up to my room and pulled my bag out from a corner. It was the same bag that I brought with me to Unova, except it had N's Menger Sponge clipped to it. I pulled out Delilah's Pokeball and sent her out for a quick chat. "WHAT?" she grumbled.

"Look, I only have a few seconds, but," I began to explain, "N is back. He came here to see me. What should I do?"

"Don't ask me," she said with sass. "He's your boyfriend, not—"

"HE'SNOTMYBOYFRIEND," I interrupted.

"Whatever. Did your dad find out he's here?"

"Uh, yeah. Why else would I ask you, out of all people for advice?"

My grumpy Froslass shot me an irritated look. "Well, I don't know, try to figure out ways to convince your dad that you and N never had a thing."

"That's what I ASKED FOR ADVICE ON."

"Cece," Candice called from downstairs, "are you coming? I can't wait forever."

"Coming," I called back. I grabbed Delilah's arm and brought her face up to mine. "We _will_ talk about this later," I warned her in a hushed tone. I sent Delilah back into her Pokeball and strapped my bag across my back. Then, I walked downstairs and met with N and Candice. "Alright," I told them, "let's go."


	3. I Reflect on My Reflection

N and I sat down on a bench at the front of the gym, near the door, while my sister inspected the gym to make sure that it was in the proper shape for battling. "So," I said as a conversation starter, "how've you been?"

"Okay, I guess," he said to me. "You?"

"Same," I answered. _Stupid small talk. We're not getting anywhere with this conversation._

We're quiet a few moments more. "I picked up a copy of your novel when I was in Hoenn," he told me. "It's really big there."

"Really?" was my reaction. I was kinda nervous about what he, not the people of Hoenn, thought about it. After all, he was practically the whole novel, and I used the novel as an excuse to express my nostalgia.

"The story seems a bit clichéd," he told me, "as if I've read it before." He winks, and I catch on to his subtle sarcasm.

"What do you _really_ think of it?" I asked him.

He says, "Well, I thought it was well-written. After all, nobody's figured out that the story is real yet. But do you mind if I ask you something about it?"

"What?"

"Why did you write it?"

"Well...uh..." _How am I supposed to put this in words?_ "Well...when I got back home...I was sad. Clinically depressed, really." My feet started to play with each other. I stared down at them, trying to hide my embarrassment as I did. "After you left, I had nothing better to do with my life. I kinda just sat in my room all day by choice. Then I got this notebook for my birthday, and...ta-dah." I resisted the urge to awkwardly pretend to gesture to a copy of the book like I had done in my Jubilife TV interview.

He smiled, then looked at the farthermost point of the gym. "I still don't know who I am. I was wondering...wondering if maybe you'd like to join me on a journey across Sinnoh. I figured that since you were able to help me figure out who I _wasn't_ when we were in Unova, then you would be able to help me figure out my calling in life."

At first, I figured that it wouldn't work out because my dad was in a state of paranoia regarding N's arrival. _He will never let me go,_ I doubted. Then, I thought about how I never finished my journey in Unova. I never finished collecting all of the badges. Hell, I didn't even know who _I _was yet. Sure, I was a writer, but I knew that, deep down inside, I wanted to be a trainer just as much. I wanted to compete in the Pokemon League and fight my way through the Battle Frontier. I also wanted to be a researcher. (After all, it was the very reason why I went to Unova in the first place.) And I have always wanted to try my hand at being a coordinator. I needed to figure out what I was eventually going to do with my life. _Maybe that will be enough to convince Dad to let me go_, I considered. So I told N, "I'll ask my dad about it, but no promises."

Candice yelled from across the room, where she was adjusting the air conditioning vents (which we need so the arena doesn't melt and flood, even though we live in the coldest region of Sinnoh), "Try asking Mom first. She probably won't care and will probably say yes. Nine times out of ten, Dad will cave in and agree. Hopefully it won't be the ten percent of times that he says no to something Mom favors."

Sarcastically, I shouted back, "THANKS FOR THE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT WITH THAT LAST SENTENCE."

"You're welcome~!" she trilled.

A few moments later, the gym was ready to open. She ran over to the glass entrance and flipped the sign from the "closed" side to the "open" side. She then skipped over to a bench opposite from N and I and asked nosily, "So, what did I miss?"

I muttered under my breath, "Nothing, since you were eavesdropping the whole time..."

"I so was _not_ eavesdropping the whole time!" she denied. "I was simply...listening in from afar."

"That's eavesdropping, Candice," I told her. At first, I felt like I was having dejá vu. Then I remembered that I had a similar conversation about stalking with N way back when. N let out a chuckle. He remembered the ancient situation just as well as I did.

"Ooh, inside jokes," Candice noticed.

_You're telling me,_ N thought.

I wanted to raise my eyebrows in shock, but Candice didn't know about the psychic connection N and I shared. _Quite literally,_ I added. We looked at each other and chuckled again.

"Well, would you guys rather giggle at inside jokes, or would you guys like to train for a while? I don't know how long it will be until somebody shows up, so you guys are more than welcome to practice battling or something. Cece, I haven't seen you battle at all since you've returned home, and N, I don't know how much training your...little fox-thing has had."

I slapped my face with my palm. "It's called a Zorua," I grumbled.

"I don't object," N said.

"Nor do I," I agreed. "Besides, you've never seen any of my newer Pokemon."

"Perfect!" Candice beamed. "Let's get started!"

**-x-**

I stood on one end of the icy battle field, and N on the other. He called out Zora—his only Pokemon—and I called out Kuchi, my Ducklett. I figured that Celeste might be better off in the coordinating field, since she I discovered back in Castelia City that she had an extreme phobia of battling. On top of that, Kuchi was the only Pokemon I hadn't battled with yet.

The first thing I was worried about was the moves Kuchi knew. I didn't have my Unovan Pokedex anymore, so that was out of the question. I ran over to the side of the field and asked my sister, "Candice, what do I do? I don't know what moves my Ducklett knows!"

She whispered back, "Then why did you pick him?"

"I haven't practiced with him yet, and I wanted to go easy on N."

Just then, I heard the video phone chime, "Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!"

"I'll get it!" I offered. I needed to get away from the battlefield so I could think this through a bit.

When I answered the phone, a familiar brunette picked up and said from the other end, "Hello?"

"Professor Juniper?" I asked. "Arceus, am I glad to see you."


	4. The One That Got Away

"So, you don't know what moves your Ducklett knows?" Professor Juniper asked me.

Kuchi flew up to me and landed on my head. "Ducklett!" he cooed.

"So _this_ must be Kuchi," Juniper said. "Hi there, little guy."

"Duck, Ducklett!"

"He's adorable!"

"But wait, can you tell me what moves he knows?"

"Actually, you can do that yourself."

_Wait, wha—_?

She began to elaborate: "You see, I called to talk to you about an exciting travel and research opportunity, if you're up for it. I was recently talking to Professor Rowan, who lives in Sandgem Town, and he was talking to me about how he's been looking for someone to help him compile more in-depth information of Pokemon across Sinnoh and across the globe, as well as more info on the legends behind Arceus, the three lake guardians, and the Creation Trio. He strongly believes that there's a connection between them, but he hasn't gotten substantial proof to verify his hypothesis.

"We got talking, and I told him about a certain insightful young trainer from Sinnoh who has done research for me before. He was thrilled and asked if I could pass the message on to her. So, what do you say? Are you interested?"

This was exactly what I needed: an excuse to let me go on a journey with N. Although, there were some factors to consider, like whether-or-not I was to tell Dad that N was going to accompany me or something. But I liked the idea for that reason. (Plus, the research offer was right up my alley.) So, I told her, "I'd love to. I just need to ask my parents first."

"Alright. Call me back when your parents give you an answer. I assume you have my number, right?"

"Yes."

"Fantastic! If your parents allow you to go on this journey, I'll contact Professor Rowan for you. See you around!"

I still didn't know what moves Ducklett knew. "Wait, wait, wait!"

But she had hung up by then.

**-x-**

Long story short, I ended the battle so I could run over to my house to get permission to go. N stayed with my sister at the gym. He was on the same page as me.

I took my sister's advice and told my mom first, and she thought the research opportunity was a great thing for me, especially since I was done with my book tour and everything.

My dad, on the other hand...let's just say that he wasn't exactly thrilled for me.

"I'm _not_ letting you go on this journey," he told me.

I groaned, "Daaaad, why not?"

"Because," he explained, "it's probably all an excuse to be with your friend N."

"Dad, I want to go and do this research. I never finished my research in Unova, and I don't feel like going that far away for a while. Right now, my research will be mainly restricted to Sinnoh, so I'll be much closer to home this time."

"What did your mother say?"

"She loved the idea and encouraged me to take up the opportunity."

A thoughtful expression came across my father's face for a few moments. "...Still, the answer's no."

"You let me go on a book tour across the region by myself, but you won't even let me journey all by myself? That's crazy."

"That's just the way it is."

Candice ran into the house. "Cece!" she called to me. "Professor Juniper called the gym. She said that she needs an answer about the research opportunity soon so she can contact Professor Rowan."

"Tell her no," Dad said.

Candice looked displeased. "Really, Dad? You'd say no to a research opportunity like _that? _She might never get an opportunity like this again. You know that if there's one thing Cece likes to do, it's learn. She likes to gather information about the things she loves. Myths, legends—all of that and more. And you'd say _no_ to that?"

"Yes," he said.

"It's about N," she said to me, "isn't it?"

I nodded my head.

Then, Mom came downstairs. "Cece," she asked, "what did your father say?"

"No," I answered with a frown.

"Honey, why did you say that?" Mom asked Dad. "I think it's a great idea."

"I don't want her traveling with that...that stranger!" he exclaimed.

Mom disagreed. "I think it's not a bad idea if he comes along, to tell you the truth. If they claim to know each other, then it would be nice for her to have someone to accompany her along the way. I mean, Candice can't leave the gym for such an extended period of time, so she can't go. I can't go because of the gym. You have to oversee the gym in case of repairs and accidents and stuff, so you're out of the question. (Plus, I don't think that she wants to be seen traveling with her parents.) She never really made any friends here besides her Pokemon, so who cares if she has a traveling partner."

"I actually never brought that up in the first place," I added, "but Dad started making assumptions. I agree, though, Mom. It's not a bad idea to have someone by my side. Please, Dad. Please let me go."

Another thoughtful expression led to a sigh, then this: "Fine. You can tell Professor What's-Her-Name that you can go."

I jumped up into the air, raising my fist above my head. This was my victory pose. "Yes!" I cheered with joy. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" I gave Dad a tight hug. I owed him big time for that. (Okay, so maybe I really should give some more credit to Candice and Mom for being so convincing.)

Candice was probably just as excited as I was. "Great!" she said. "I'll run back now and tell her the good news."

"I'm coming with you," I told her.

**-x-**

"That's wonderful!" Professor Juniper beamed. "I'll give him a call right now."

"When you call him, can you ask him if I can bring a friend along with me?" I asked.

She said with a smile, "I don't see why not!" and then hung up.

N walked over to me. "I'm assuming that this means we can go on our journey together," he understood.

"Yes," I confirmed, "it does."


	5. And Counting

_**A/N**__—__There's a _Macbeth_ reference in this one. It's sorta hard to find unless you paid attention to the dialogue, but there's a loose reference near the end of this chapter. :D Hooray for literature!_

* * *

><p>I woke up to a bright and blithe Sunday morning. The sunlight was bright enough to wake me up. I stretched out my arms and yawned before I got out of bed. I opened my curtains and looked out the window. Not only was the sunlight itself gorgeous, but it added to the natural aesthetics of the snow on the ground by making the frozen water crystals sparkle. <em>Today's gonna be a great day<em>, I thought cheerfully. I knew this was true, not by the sight of the nature outside, but by the date. This was the day that N and I would leave for our journey.

I ran to my closet and rummaged through my clothes. I wanted to pick an outfit that was attractive, yet functional. (You won't _believe_ some of the skimpy clothes I see trainers wear. It's crazy.) I then decided on a pair of running sneakers, a pair of dark-washed skinny jeans, a v-neck tee that transitioned from the white color at the top of the shirt down to an aqua and then a purple near the bottom, and a black sweatshirt. I quickly brushed out my dark brown hair and tied it back into a pony tail. As I looked at myself in the mirror attached to the back of my door, I remembered that I was missing something: my Cross-Tranciever. I figured that it would be useful, so I scouted every corner of my room until I found it on the floor by my laundry basket. I secured it on my wrist, then grabbed my backpack. My eyes focused themselves on N's Menger sponge. After some consideration, I put the cube-like object on the loop of my jeans. Just like N used to wear it.

I took a few seconds to ask myself if I had everything. _Bag, check._ (I had already packed my bag the night prior.) Menger_ sponge, check. Cross-tranciever, check. Sneakers,_ I looked down at my shoes. _check. Icicle Badge necklace,_ I looked down and pulled my necklace out from under my shirt so that it was visible in plain sight. I never took the token off. _check._

After a deep breath, I announced to myself, "I guess that's it, then. Time to start anew."

**-x-**

N and I were waving goodbye to my family as the boat disembarked from the port. Once Snowpoint was no longer in sight, N smiled. "Are you excited?" he asked.

I gave him a grin that tells him, _No, duh._ "Extremely."

N stared out at the icy cold ocean in front of him. "The view is so gorgeous," he told me. "However, Castelia's view of the ocean is still my favorite."

I nodded in agreement. A wave of nostalgia coursed through my body. I wished that we could be in Unova again, but those days were behind us. It was a new start. N and I had the opportunity to forget the foibles and mishaps of our past. We had the opportunity to start over again. We were actually able to bond this time around.

He looked down at my hip and sees the Menger sponge. "You kept it after all this time?" he asked me.

Of all the things we could've talked about, he had to bring up the past. "Y-yeah," I told him. "Do you want it back?"

He told me, "No, no. You keep it. I gave it to you. It's yours now."

We were silent for a few moments more. It was just like old times.

"What was seeing the world like?" I brought up.

He told me, "It was nice. I saw panoramic views of all different landscapes. I experienced different climates. I interacted with Pokemon both brutal and kind. But it was lonely, and I didn't enjoy it much. I never learned anything about myself, to be honest. That's why I came back to you. From what you'd told me back in Unova, I knew where to find you—not to sound creepy or anything." After some more quiet, he asked me, "How was your book tour? You never told me much about it."

"Just like what you said about seeing the world: it was fun, but lonely at the same time. Oh, and it was awkward. I'm so glad you never saw my interview at Jubilife TV. It was a disgrace."

He then disagreed, "It couldn't have been _that_ bad."

"Oh, it was," I disagreed.

Over the ship's loudspeaker, the captain announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you are having a wonderful day so far. The weather is looking nice, and the seas are calm. We should make it to Sandgem Town in about three days—one whole day ahead of schedule. Although this is just a tentative estimation, conditions appear to be in our favor as of now. Your rooms have just finished being cleaned. You may go to them when you feel ready. Have a good day, and happy sailing."

**-x-**

I went to my cabin, which was down the hall from N's. (My dad ordered our tickets. He wanted us as far away from each other as possible...but that was the farthest he could get.) I made sure the door was closed, then I sat on my bed, took my bag off of my back, and opened it. I rummaged through it until I found the Dark Stone. I picked it up and scrutinized it, taking in every last detail and crevice. Thoughts of Unova returned to my head as I began to remember my first journey. The thought that I was going on yet another journey baffled me. It was like my life was falling from my grasp at such a rapid rate. "Feels like it was only yesterday," I noted as my life flashed before my eyes. To be honest, I missed the thrill and adventure that I experienced in Unova. My mind then focused on hopes of a new, equally-exciting expedition. But considering that Team Plasma had faded into nothingness after Ghetsis was arrested, I knew that the chances of that happening were slim.

My body then lay on the bed. I stared up at the ceiling as I hugged the Dark Stone. For someone who wanted to focus on the future, I was thinking an awful lot about the past.

_"How's it going, Sleeping Beauty?"_

I look to my right, and there's Grace, looking down at me and smiling. She had popped out of her Pokeball when I wasn't looking. _I'll have to talk to Delilah about the example she's been setting for the others,_ I mentally noted.

"I'm doing okay," I tell her. "How've you been doing."

_"Okay as well. We haven't talked in a while."_

During those past six months where I was suffering from N withdrawal, I didn't really interact with my Pokemon much. Just Delilah sometimes, when I needed some harsh motivation to get me out of bed in the morning.

_"Where are we?_"

I explained the situation to her, and her reaction was, _"You were willing to overlook the fact he abandoned you way back when? That's so sweet. So Team Plasma's gone?"_

"Yeah. Their true leader—Ghetsis—was arrested, and the entire group just fell apart after that. N saved me from Ghetsis. He almost died for me."

_"How does someone 'almost' die?"_

"How did I 'almost' die all of those other times? Luck and chance are cruel, but not unreasonable. It lets those it likes flourish and those it despises perish."

Someone knocked the door to my cabin three times. "Who is it?" I asked.

"A friend," she responds.


	6. Open Your Heart

_**A/N - **Sorry if my verb tense is off; I've been writing a short story lately, and it takes place in the present tense, so it's been hard to keep myself from writing in the present tense while writing this. Of course, that's no excuse for my grammatical errors, but it was worth a shot. ^_^ And also, sorry this took me so long to write. I've been drowning in the Schoolwork Sea for the past few weeks. No me gusta tarea. *nods disapprovingly*_

* * *

><p>I opened the door and saw August, who was dressed in a pastel green camisole with a white, abstract <em>sakura<em> pattern printed on it; light wash denim jean shorts; and sneakers. Large, dark-tint sunglasses were acting as a headband for her long, blond hair. She had a large duffel bag that she was holding on her arm. I supposed that her International Police disguise was in there.

She gave me a big grin and said, "Miss me?"

"August!" I cheered as I hugged my old friend. "How did you know I was here?"

"Cross-Tranciever," she explained. "Duh. You're lucky I got that thing back for you." Sometime after I returned home, August dropped by my house to bring back my Cross-Tranciever, which she found lying around in N's Castle before she and her fellow agents left the scene for good. Of course, she didn't stay more than a few seconds, so I really hadn't seen her since our previous encounter at N's Castle.

"I forgot. You can tap into it. Man, that's proven to be a useful asset to you, huh?"

August nodded her head. Then, Grace waltzed over to me and stands in back of me. The Gardevoir sent a telepathic message to August: _"Why, hello. It's been a while."_

"Indeed it has," August agreed. I was utterly impressed. Grace hardly talked to anyone but me. "How has your psychic connection with Cecilia been working out?"

I explained, "It's been slowly healing. Emphasis on slowly. But it's not nearly as strong as it was when Ghetsis increased the connection's potency way back when." I noticed August's face cringe at the name "Ghetsis." Something was wrong.

August let out a petty laugh. "Ghetsis. Yeah, about him..."

**-x-**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE ESCAPED?"

"I mean, he escaped," August explained. "I'm on a mission to locate him. I figured that I could go to your house and ask you to help me look for him, but then I figured out that you were here. What are you up to this time? Book tour? Family vacation?"

"Research for Professor Rowan. I'm on my way to Sandgem Town right now. Wait, did you read my book?"

"Do I really _need_ to? I was there when it happened. I know how it starts, begins, and ends already. It'd be a waste of my money." She gave me a sly wink.

I shook my head to clear it of any distractions, then focused on the matter at hand. "Where do you think Ghetsis would be?"

"Who knows? I was just doing research in Unova not too long ago, but he's not there, as far as I know. I figured that Sinnoh would be the next best place to look."

"Why?"

She gave me a "you've got to be freaking kidding me" face. "Uh, you're here. Obviously. Isn't that enough of a reason for him to come all the way over here? He probably wants revenge. He was hostile and power-mad when we locked him up, and chances are he was the same way when he escaped."

_Oh yeah. Right._ I laughed nervously in a failed attempt to hide the embarrassment I felt as a result of my stupidity.

"Can I join you, though?" she asked. "I could use your help."

Grace then announced, _"But what about N—"_

"—note taking!" I blurted, speaking over Grace as I did. "I'll have to take a lot of notes. Lots of in-depth notes. And training. I'm going to attempt to earn all eight badges this time around. And I have to fill up an entire Pokedex for Professor Rowan. I'll be super busy. Not to be rude, but can't one of your agent friends accompany you or something?"

August flicked her hand, as if she were saying, "Pish posh." "I won't be around _all_ the time. Just some of it. Obviously I'll have to run off every so often if I see something suspicious. But tagging along with you will be a good thing for the both of us. I can find Ghetsis while helping you train and stuff."

Grace began to speak to me and me alone. In her aside, she told me, _"Why not just let her tag along? It could be fun."_

I thought back, _But I wanted to actually get to know N this time along!_

"Come on!" implored August. "Pleeeeeaseeeee?" She folded her hands and bat her eyes at me.

_"If you think about it, your dad's probably going to be calling your Cross-Tranciever every three seconds once we dock. Having August around might keep your dad's phone calls to a minimum."_

I sighed and told her, "Fine."

"Yes!" she said with triumphant. She put her right hand in a fist, threw it up into the air, and brought it down in front of her face.

"But there's something you should know first."

"What?"

A knock sounded on the door of my cabin. "It's unlocked," I called out.

N walked into the scene. "August, you remember N, right?"


	7. What is This Feeling?

"...Hello again," N said. The expression on his face made it kind of obvious that he wasn't expecting August to drop in.

August said to N, "...Hello again, indeed." She wasn't expecting him either. _"What's the agent girl doing here?" _N asked me mentally.

_Long story,_ I thought back. _I'm guessing that means your truce is off._

_"What do you think?_"

It looked like nobody wanted to be there at the moment. I didn't want to be there because I knew that N and August weren't exactly "friends." In the past, N didn't like August because she was part of an International Police operation that was trying to shut Team Plasma down. He probably still didn't trust her. August, on the other hand, probably just thought that he was, and forever will be, a villain. The only reason why they even teamed up in the past was to keep me from getting pummeled to a pulp by Ghetsis.

To break the silence, I cheered somewhat unenthusiastically, "...Yay, friendship!"

N nudged my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "Can I talk to you in the hallway for a minute."

I nodded in place of saying, "Yes." Then, I turned to August and told her, "I'll be right back. In the meanwhile...maybe you and Grace could get to know each other better or...something."

**-x-**

"Alright, why is she here?"

I explained to N, "Well, she needs to do some investigation for some case, and she wanted to tag along with us while she did so."

"What's she investigating?" he asked.

_I can't just tell him that Ghetsis is back. He'd freak. Or die. Or both. _"She didn't tell me."

"Can't she just go around on her own?"

"She said that she won't stay long. She'll be floating in and out and stuff. But this isn't a bad thing—contrary to what you might think."

"How could this _not_ be a bad thing?"

"Well, it could keep my dad somewhat sane while I'm away."

After a moment of silence, N got what I was trying to say. "Good point."

"Now that you understand where I'm going with this, could you at least _try_ to get along with August?"

N sighed. "Fine," he agreed.

We reentered the cabin. Grace and August seemed to be having some casual girl talk—which is weird, considering that Grace never really talked to anyone at all, period. August went from blithe to discouraged in a matter of seconds.

N forced the following words out of his mouth: "I'm...so...glad that you are joining us, August."

I walked over to August and whispered in her ear, "Just play along, okay? And try not to kill each other, alright?"

"Fine," she groaned. August stepped up to N and lied, "I'm so glad, too." N and August tacitly agreed to try not to kill each other by shaking hands.

"So, I guess that the deal is sealed!" I announced. "Now what?"

"Well," August said, "I don't have anywhere to stay, and I don't have a ticket, which means that if security sees me, then I'm screwed, so..."

"Yes, you can bunk here for the time being."

"Awesome."

"Well, since everyone's here, maybe I should give a call to my dad..."

**-x-**

When my dad picked up the phone at Candice's gym, I told him that I ran into my old friend August, who would be joining N and me on our journey. It wasn't necessarily a lie, considering that I did not expect to see August in Sinnoh in the first place, and that she technically _was_ joining us.

Let me just say that I've never seen my dad more relieved in my life. "Thank Arceus. Finally, someone to keep an eye on you two. Someone to make me feel less worried about—"

"Dad. Stop it. Seriously. You're embarrassing me."

"Sorry, dear. But how did your friend end up here anyhow?"

"Allow me to answer that," announced August herself. "Hey, Mr. Chance. Nice to finally meet you, even though it's through a webcam. I'm August. I came here for a change in pace and venue. I've always wanted to see the world, so I figured that it'd be awesome to explore my best friend's homeland. Little did I know that I would end up running into her on a cruise ship."

"Well, it's nice to know that you two ran into each other. Keep my little muffin out of trouble, okay?"

"Daaaad..." I groaned.

My dad apologized, "Sorry, Muffin. I've got to go finish helping your sister clean up the gym from her last battle. That opponent really left a mess behind. Bye, dear!"

The call ended. August and N started laughing. "It's about the 'Muffin' thing," I realize, "isn't it?"

"It just sounds so ridiculous!" August admitted. "Even _my _dad never embarrasses me like that."

"I'm with August on this one," N agreed. At least they were agreeing on something for once.

First, August's stomach growled; mine and N's soon followed. "I'm guessing we should go see what's cooking in the mess hall," August suggested.

"Not a bad idea," I agreed. "Maybe you two can bond over a burger or something." I laughed, but August and N weren't really amused. They gave each other deathly stared.

_This is going to be harder than I thought_, I deduced.


End file.
